Review: MAMMA MIA, Theatre Royal, Glasgow

Twenty year old Sophie is getting married and there's just one thing missing- her dad. The problem is that she doesn't know who he is as her mother had a few romances around the time she was conceived. After finding her mother's diary, she contacts all three potential fathers and invites them to the wedding pretending to be her mother, Donna. Hilarity ensues as the men arrive on the island much to Donna's dismay.

Jam packed with hits from start to finish, it is impossible not to feel the sheer joy radiating from the stage. I also can't imagine there's anywhere else in the world where Super Trooper gets a better response. Unlike other jukebox musicals it doesn't feel forced and none of the tracks appear to have been shoehorned into the script.

The standout performance for me came from Emma Clifford as Tanya. One of the highlights of the show was her rendition of "Does Your Mother Know" with her toyboy love interest as her comedic timing was excellent.

There are times when the backing track is a little too loud and some of the singing is drowned out. The plot is undeniably silly and there were a couple of occasions where it was a little too slapstick for my liking. It's all good fun though, with the audience wolf whistling at the slightest hint of a bare chested man.

Mamma Mia might not be the first musical that comes to mind when you think of a Christmas show- but where better to escape than a Greek island during a dark wet December night?

Mamma Mia runs at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow until Saturday 30th December.

To post a comment, you must register and login.